Hi everyone! Just a quick note to let everyone know that FamilyTreeDNA has a special on their Y-DNA kits again, just in time for father's day! Y-DNA37 for $119 (Regular price $149) Y-DNA67 for $199 (Regular price $239) Y-DNA37+mtDNA for $159 (Combined test reg. $238) The promotion started June 5 and will end June 25. Kits need to be paid for by June 30, 2010. You can see our Van Norman Project's current results at http://www.FamilyTreeDNA.com - type Van Norman into the search engine, and follow the links.... [or go directly to the results with www.familytreedna.com/public/vannorman ] As you can see, the majority of our participants have used the Y-DNA37 kit, which gives us sufficient points for comparison in most cases. Any participant must be a male bearing the Van Norman surname (any variation) as the Y-DNA is passed solely from father to son - making it ideal for Surname based projects such as ours. Female researchers must get a male Van Norman (etc.) relative to "sub" in for them - father, brother, uncle, cousin, etc.... If you do not know which line of the Van Norman (etc.) family you connect back to [i.e. Jans Dirks & Sarah Theunis; Joseph Van Norman & Elizabeth Wybern; Josiah Van Norman & Mary __?__; etc.] this is one way to get a jump on matters if you can't locate a paper trail. For those who have determined where they fit into a family tree, it is an opportunity to confirm your research, and to assist us to build up our database of family members for each line. We have been quite successful with the early stages of our project, determining that there was not one sole Van Norman ancestor for everyone, but likely several different progenitors bearing the same or a similar Surname. We still require additional participants who can trace their line back into the 1700's or so in New Jersey and more people who can do the same in New York - especially one who can connect back to Jans Dirks & Sarah Theunis..... Other early Pennsylvania Van Normans would be useful as well, particularly if you can trace back to the Samuel or Isaac lines, as we have a mystery to solve there. Of course, all "brickwall" ancestors are welcome too! Since there is a small chance that a DNA sample won't match up to anything in our database, due to adoption, infidelity, illegitimacy, etc., anyone who would be greatly upset by not having a match to a known line is cautioned about taking the test. If there is anyone who wishes to sponsor a test because they don't have a relative to "borrow" or someone who is willing to participate, but can't afford the expense at this time, etc., please contact me directly and I will get a list going. Please consider the Van Norman Y-DNA project as being a part of our common quest to sort out the numerous Van Norman lines by breaking down their brick walls. Thanks, Stephen Wood Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. stephe.w300@gmail.com [Disclaimer: I have no connection to the FamilyTreeDNA company except as being one of the Van Norman Project Co-ordinators.]